Heart's Darkness
by JenFoxworth
Summary: Shadow is turned into a vampire, and Tails is the noly one who believes he can return into his natural state, but they are hindered, by a cult that wishes the entire earth to be filled with vampires...
1. Chapter 1

Once again, Shadow felt uncertain fear. He had been dreaming about his life on the Ark, about his past experiences, when a slight sound had awoken him from his slumber. A snapping of a twig, and he opened his eyes. He was still lying at the edge of the meadow, leaning against a tree trunk, the full moon high in the sky. Its light illuminated everything as

Shadow glanced around, trying to see where the sound had come from. After a couple minutes of silence except for the natural sounds of the night, he relaxed and was closing his eyes when a cloaked being suddenly leapt out of the tall grass in front of him. The hedgehog threw his arms up in defense, trying to push the creature off of him. For a moment, it seemed as if he would succeed, but it was only because the red-eyed monster was pausing to laugh at him. It hissed, then forced him to the ground with ease, lowering its head and opening its mouth to reveal fangs.

It was slightly larger than himself, and Shadow felt the saliva touch his skin as the creature sank its long teeth deep into his throat. The dark hedgehog was unable to move, the beast's body covering his legs and his hands holding down his arms as it began to drink his blood. Shadow felt a strange sensation coming over him, and his eyes drooped. He stopped fighting, and fell into unconsciousness.

When he awoke, he was no longer near the meadow. He was in a dark cave, and all around him he saw glowing red eyes, crimson slits in the darkness, all watching him silently. Shadow trembled, he felt weak, as if someone had drained his energy. Without warning, one of the pairs of eyes came closer, issuing a hissing sound.

"Hesssssss mine... I haven't had a drink for dayssssssssss!!!" it said, then it jumped ontop of him, knocking him down. Once again, Shadow was unable to fight it, too weak from his last encounter with the creatures. It forced his head down to the side, exposing his throat, and was about to bite him, when another came over and pushed it aside. "

You fool! Hessssss one of ussssssss now, I already drained him thrice!! Hessssss weak from it, I managed to keep him assssssssssleep through the month, I stretched his blood sssssso I wouldn't have to go huntingssss!!" this voice said, cackling.

Shadow sat up, and stared. He had changed, he realized. If he focused his eyes hard enough, he could easily see the two creatures in front of him. They were hunched over slightly, due to the low ceiling in the cave, and seemed to be wearing long cloaks. The one that had attacked him slunk off, grumbling and growling. The second one came up to him, his face inches from Shadow's.

"Sssssso ssssorry for my friendsssssss missssssbehavior, ssssssshe hassssssn't fed in daysssssss, and issssssss irritable." He hissed, his fangs showing when he spoke. Shadow realized that this beast was a male, the way it spoke and moved showed it.

"Where am I? How did I get here?!" Shadow asked, his voice rising. The other stared at him, then checked to see if anyone was listening.

"Pleasssssse do not ssssssspeak loud, it isssssss the daylight hoursssssssss, and many of ussssssssss our sssssssssleeping... You are in our cave, we are a colony of vampiresssssssss. I am Tegetro, a month ago, I went out to feed, and I found you. You were an eassssssssy target, sssssssssso I bit you. I've been keeping you from the othersssssssss, hiding you ssssssssso I can feed off you freely. However, one can only be bitten three timesssssssssss before they become one of usssssssss, and now I cannot usssssssse you. I will have to go out again tonight to ssssssssseek another meal." He said with a sniff.

Shadow stared at him in shock. This, creature, this vampire, was saying that he had turned him into one of their own?! Not wanting to believe it, Shadow reached up his hand to his mouth. Just beneath his lips he touched the long, sharp fangs that had sprouted out of his canine teeth. Still trying to believe it was all a hoax, he glared at Tegetro.

"Prove it! I don't believe that I'm..." he didn't get to finish, as Tegetro grabbed him by his arms and began dragging him towards the cave entrance. Shadow saw the light coming from the sun outside and for some unknown reason, began to feel afraid.

"If you are sssssssstill a normal hedgehog, then the ssssssssssunlight won't harm you... If you are not, then you will become assssssssh the moment it touchesssssss your ssssssskin!!" he said, preparing to shove Shadow out into the daylight. The dark hedgehog's heart skipped a beat as he began to tremble in fear. Tegetro stared at him and gave an evil snicker.

"What? You aren't afraid, are you?! I thought you didn't believe me, thought you wassssssss normal?!" the beast laughed, then he grabbed Shadow's hand. He brought them up to the hedgehog's neck, pressing the fingers to the bite punctures on his throat.

"Sssssssix, you sssssssee? I wassssssss tempted to try feeding on you more, but you awoke earlier than I expected...!" Tegetro said, catching Shadow as he fell to his knees. "You are weak... You musssssst resssssssssst for tonight, for it will be your firsssssssst hunt. I will help you with thissssssss one, but after thissssss night, you will be on your own!" he hissed, a touch of sympathy in his voice as he dragged Shadow back into the depths of the cave.

"You feed off of mortal beings by drinking their blood?! Doesn't that bother you?!" Shadow asked, later that night. The moon was full as they headed out, just as it had been when he had first been attacked. Tegetro had given him a long black cloak to wear, and he had found out that the vampire being was actually a wolf.

"It issssssss our way of life, as it hasssssss been mine for nearly twenty yearsssssssss. We can not change it, and if given the chance, yesssssss, I would prefer to be a normal creature, but it isssssss not sssssssssso. There is no known cure, asssss there isssss none for the werewolf, assss my cousssssin knowssssss all too well. It is ssstrange, that I became one of the undead, and he became a mutant of hissssss own kind." Tegetro said, shrugging.

The two vampires moved swiftly in the darkness until they came to a cliff. Here, the wolf halted. "If you would prefer, we could sssssssearch by flight?" he asked Shadow, allowing an enormous pair of bat wings to sprout out of his back. His hedgehog companion nodded, doing the same. Even though he did not say it, Shadow felt pity for his new friend, as he did for himself. Tegetro interrupted his thoughts by suddenly pointing down to the meadow below, where a small figure was sleeping in the grass by a burned out campfire.

They landed, and began to slink up to the small form. The wolf jumped in a seized the small creature in the sleeping bag, pulling her out and holding her securely. Shadow stared at the little girl. It was Cream the rabbit, and she sobbed in fright at the two dark creatures.

"You can have thisssssss one, ssssssssince it isssssssss your first time. It issssss not difficult, just allow your insssstinctsssss to guide you." Tegetro said, shoving the bunny into Shadow's arms. Then he turned, a sad frown on his face. "I go to find my mine, now, you're on your own!" he said, disappearing into the night.

"Let go of me, please! Don't hurt me!!" Cream cried, struggling to get away. The dark hedgehog didn't let go of her. At first, he was going to release her, but then something deep down inside him stirred, and he held her tighter. His hand touched her throat, and he felt her pulse beneath his fingers. With every beat of her heart, his urge became stronger. Slowly, he lowered his head to her neck. Cream pounded her fists on his chest and tried to escape, but he was stronger than ten hedgehogs of his normal size, and it was futile.

"Cheese! Amy!! Help!!!" she screamed, frightened as his fangs touched her neck. His instinct had taken over him completely, the hunger driving him. But he wasn't prepared for what happened next. A pink hedgehog jumped out, and smacked him hard with a large hammer.

"Get off her, YOU FREAK!!!" She screamed as she hit him. Her blow was so powerful that it knocked the dark hedgehog unconscious, and he fell to the ground. For the first time, both of the girls got a good look at the creature.

"Oh my gosh!! It's Mr. Shadow!!" Cream said, beginning to cry. "

Yeah, but what was he doing to you?! And why does he look so... evil?" wondered Amy. Suddenly, Cream's small chao Cheese came flying up, Sonic running along behind him.

"Is that... Shadow?!" he asked, looking at his rival lying on the ground. "Yeah, and he was attacking Cream!! At least, I think he was..." Amy said, blushing at the fact that she had knocked the black hedgehog out with one smack of her piko piko hammer. A red echidna came out of the bushes not too far away.

"Oh, hey, Knuckles! Shadow tried to kill Cream and Amy knocked him out, but we can't figure out why." Sonic told him, as Tails also came up behind him.

"You ever think that maybe he just likes hurting people?" said Knuckles, rolling his eyes. They turned as Tails gasped, he was kneeling down beside Shadow, inspecting him.

"Sonic, come look at this!" the small fox-boy said, showing the blue hedgehog the puncture marks on Shadow's neck. "Those look like, like...!" Tails stuttered, as Sonic moved him aside. Without further hesitation, the blue hedgehog opened Shadow's mouth to show off the two fangs gleaming in the moonlight.

"He's a VAMPIRE!!" Amy screamed hysterically.

Just across the wide meadow, Tegetro heard the pink hedgehogs scream of suprise. Believing that it was because his companion had finally caught someone on his own, he decided to see if it was so. His smile turned to a frown as he peeked out from the long grass at the scene. He had allowed himself to be captured, what an idiot, he thought, but then again, he hadn't been so hot when he had first started out.

The wolf listened in on their conversation, his eyes growing wide with every new idea that they came up with.

"We could just drive a stake in him, ya know." The echidna said, apparently not caring for Shadow. The others ignored him, their ideas showed more concern. Cream pulled Shadow into a sitting position against a stump nearby. She forgave him for his actions, after all, he couldn't control himself.

"Well, we can't just leave him like this! Maybe we can find a cure for him or something, I'm sure there's one somewhere!" said Sonic. Tails glanced at the slumped form by Cream, unnerved.

"Whatever we do, we need to do it quick, before he comes around. It was only lucky that he didn't hear Amy coming, if he was awake, he could easily beat us all, even though he would be outnumbered." the fox said. With a small moan, Shadow began to stir, lifting his head and opening his eyes, only to see Amy's hammer hit him full in the face again. Cream caught him as he toppled over once more, out cold. Tegetro muttered a curse under his breath, then leaped out, prepared to take them on.

"Ahhhhhh!!!!!! It's another one!!" yelled Cream, as Cheese flew in front of the bunny to protect her. The wolf let out a low hiss, then selected his target. If he could manage to snatch one of them, the others would attempt to follow. He would easily lose them, and he would have someone to feed upon. They would leave Shadow, and Tegetro could come back for him later. The vampire wolf leapt forward, grabbing Tails around the waist and then disappearing into the tall meadow grass.

"Soniccccccccc!!" the fox screamed as he was being carried off. Tegetro hadn't counted on the blue hedgehog having such speed, but was able to lose him nonetheless by hiding in the woods.

The young fox struggled in his grasp and began to shout, and the wolf bared his fangs viciously at him. It silenced him, seeing the seemingly murderous red eyes and the saliva dripping off the fangs inches from his own face. Tails became quiet, trembling and listening as his friends' calls grew fainter and fainter, until all he could hear was the sounds of the night.

Tegetro stood, and didn't say a word as he carried the two-tailed fox back over to where Shadow lay. The black hedgehog was beginning to move and come around, opening his eyes as the wolf gave him a look of annoyance.

"I had hoped that you wouldn't need my help, but I sssssuppossse that all of usssssss have to sssstart ssssssomewhere. It isss getting nearer to the light hourssss, we will have to drag thissssss one to the cave and hide him from the others. We can feed on him later, jusssst don't tell anyone I sssssssshared him with you, or they'll all be assssking for me for favorsssssssss!" the wolf said, when he noticed that Shadow was staring at the fox strangely.

"Tails?!" he asked, rising to his feet.

"Shadow!!! Please don't bite me!!! I don't want to be a vampire!!!!" the fox said, shaking fearfully as the tears began to run down his face.

"Sssssssshutup!!" Tegetro said, then turned to Shadow. "The more you let them talk, the more you don't want to feed off them, do you know thissssssss creature?" he asked. The dark hedgehog nodded, then sighed.

"Yes, I do. He's a friend of Sonic, and obsessed with mechanics." he said. The wolf began dragging the whimpering fox off in the direction of the cave.

"Well, that changessss nothing. He sssssshouldn't have been out late, camping or whatever. If he'sssssss a good friend of yourssssssss I'll keep him for myssssself, if you're going to have a problem with it!" Tegetro muttered as Shadow followed him.

Upon reaching the cave, Shadow saw that it was growing closer to dawn, and he knew that the sun would come up any moment. He didn't really want to feed off Tails, let alone anyone, but he was afraid what would happen if he didn't.

"It lookssss like the othersssssss have not yet returned, if you hold him, I will check. Don't let him go... or elsssssse! I've had a hard enough night, and I am not in the mood for merccccccy!" the wolf sneered, handing Tails to Shadow and entering the cave. The fox trembled violently in the hedgehog's arms, whimpering and letting tears flow down his cheeks. Shadow loosened his grip a little, but not enough so the fox could escape.

"Tails, take it in mind that I don't really have much of a choice. I have to feed of others to live now, and you're just as good as the next fox, sooner or later you probably would be bitten anyway." He told him, hoping that it would ease the fox's fear a little. If it did anything it made Tails even more frightened.

"We w-were gonna find you a c-cure, Shadow!! If y-you leave now, I'm sure we c-could find one, it would just take some t-time!!" the twin tailed fox stuttered, a new look of fear coming to his eyes. Shadow thought about it for a moment, then slowly, he released him.

"I couldn't bring myself to drink your blood anyway. Tegetro may have some compassion, but I have a feeling that he will try to kill me. Go, run, before he returns and it's too late." The hedgehog sighed, turning his back on Tails. The fox began to run, but halted after a few steps. He turned back, a moved over to Shadow.

"Come with me, Shadow! If we find a cure, you should be there to see if it works!" he said, putting a hand on his shoulder. He remained silent for a moment before answering.

"If I lose control, you won't be able to stop me, Tails. It's best if I stay away, now go!" he said, turning a baring his teeth.

"But Shadow...!" the fox began. Shadow rushed forward and moved as if he were going to grab him. "Go now! Or I will attack you!! I can feel the hunger trying to control me already!!" he screeched. The fox stomped his foot on the ground and stood firm, even as he felt the vampire's teeth touch his neck.

"NO!! I'm not leaving without y-you!!" he said. Shadow let go of him and glared.

"You're stubborn. Fine, I'll go, but I did warn you, next time I may not be able to stop!" he muttered.

It was nearly daylight, and they did not make it far before Shadow was beginning to tremble in fear for himself. "It's too close, I can't stay out in the daylight, it'll kill me!!" he moaned as the sky became brighter with each passing moment. They had reached the groups old campsite, and the tent that the friends had attempted to erect in failure was still in a jumbled heap on the ground.

"Come here, quick!" Tails said, and he threw the tent canvas over the dark hedgehog. Then he reached under the folds of it and grasped Shadow's hand. "I'll lead you back to the city where Sonic and I usually meet, it'll give us a head start to the vampires, as they can't travel during the day. When we get there, I'll find somewhere for you to sleep while I go looking for Sonic." He said, checking to make sure that the tent covered all of Shadow's body.

Upon arriving in the city, Tails immediately began receiving funny looks, but he didn't say anything about this to Shadow. They climbed up some steps to an apartment building with some difficulty, then stopped at a door on the fourth floor.

"It's too bad the elevator's broken. This is the apartment that Sonic and I are staying at, sometimes Bark comes over, but not that often." The fox said, turning his key in the lock. After leading Shadow in, he proceeded to shut all the blinds and curtains, and made sure all the lamps were turned off and the door was closed. "Okay, you can take it off now." He said, sitting on the couch.

Shadow pulled the canvas from him, and muttered something about looking stupid. It was dark, but not so dark that you couldn't see anything. He looked at the floor, his hunger growing. Tails watched as he collapsed on the floor, his body shuddering. The fox began to move towards him, but the hedgehog motioned for him to get away.

"Don't come any closer, it's hard enough just having to look at you!!" he said, sitting up and gasping. Tails stood there for a moment, trying to think of a solution, then ran into the kitchen. He returned a couple moments later with a large uncooked steak, and he set it on the coffee table in front of the couch.

"I almost forgot I had this, is it alright for you to eat?" he asked. Shadow looked up, and the moment he saw the food he pounced on it. Tails turned and went back into the kitchen, unable to watch the hedgehog eating the gruesome meal. He returned after about ten minutes, and found the plate that had held the bloody steak empty and licked dry.

Shadow was lying on the couch, and as he slept, he gave a sigh of contentment. I guess some things about vampires are true while others are just rumors, Tails thought, because he doesn't seem to need to sleep in a coffin with dirt. He covered Shadow with a blanket anyway, incase someone were to come in the apartment unexpectedly and let sunlight in through the door.

It was quite some time before anything happened. Tails spent the day on a computer in his room, trying to figure out where Sonic was and researching all he could about vampires. He couldn't find him, and suspected that he would just have to wait until his friend came back to the apartment for something. He knew that Sonic was looking desperately for him, and that it might be a while. But he couldn't just leave Shadow unattended, anything could happen. From what he learned, vampires were allergic to many things, such as garlic, holy water, and sunlight. But what could cure them? The fox couldn't find out anything about that, but he knew he couldn't stop looking and get discouraged.

It was about nine o' clock at night, when he heard the door in the living room to the apartment opening. Before he could get in the room, he heard a shout, and the sounds of fighting. When the two-tailed fox entered, he found Shadow cowering in a corner his hands trying to keep Sonic from stabbing him with a silver dagger. The vampire hedgehog already had cuts on his face from it, and was weakened. Tails moved in quickly, pulling Sonic off of Shadow.

"Sonic, don't!! He's under control, and I'm fine!!! Stop!" the fox said as the blue hedgehog looked at him in shock.

"Tails, you're all right!! But what's Shadow doing here, and why did you stop me?!" his friend said, staring at Shadow, who was lying on his side on the floor, gasping in pain.

"Sonic, calm down! That wolf vampire was going to take me to a cave and bite me, but when he left for a moment, Shadow let me go. I convinced him to come with me, and I'm trying to find a cure for him! You could have killed him with that dagger Sonic, vampires are terribly weak against silver, it burns their skin if they even touch it, and you were cutting him with it!!" the fox explained, examining the dark hedgehog's wounds. Shadow collapsed against the fox, his body trembling, the anguish almost too much to bear.

"Help me get him to the couch, Sonic! We have to counter-act the poison from the silver!" the fox said, and they carried the quickly fading hedgehog over to the sofa. "Okay... From what I read today... Do we have any dogwood flowers?!" Tails asked, as Shadow's breaths became more ridged and he began twitching uncontrollably.

"Uh... Actually, Amy gave me some the other day, they might still be in the trash in my..." before the blue hedgehog could finish the sentence, Tails returned with the flowers from his room. He pressed the white petals to the cuts on the dark hedgehog's face, and after a couple moments, his breathing became more normal, and his limbs stopped moving. As Shadow slept, Tails explained to Sonic the details about what had happened in the past night and day.


	2. Chapter 2

Though Shadow's vampire body wanted to sleep during the day, the exhaustion caused him to rest for nearly two hours that night. During this time, Tails explained to Sonic what happened while he was missing.

"... And then you came in and attacked him, Sonic, if you had plunged the dagger through his heart, he would have been killed instantly!! Please, be more careful!" the fox whined, shaking his head. His blue friend glanced at Shadow, who was beginning to stir on the couch.

"Well, I had thought that he was in connection with that other one, and they had some sort of plan going on. I figured that even if you were a vampire, the first place you would come is here, but when I saw him in here, I thought they might be holding you captive or something!" the blue hedgehog said, jerking his thumb at Shadow, who was now fully awake. The dark vampire glared at him, thoroughly annoyed.

"It'sssss not like I assssked to be this way!!" he said with a hiss. The pair stared at him for a moment, suprised.

"You're picking up the vampire accent, Shadow! We got to find you a cure fast!" Tails said, starting to stand. The dark hedgehog rose before he could however, and pushed him back down, bringing a finger to his lips.

"Shhhhhh..." he said, turning to one of the windows. Leaping onto the top of the couch, Shadow perched on it like a beast, eyes closed and ears twitching.

After a couple moments what seemed like silence, his eyes shot open, and he lunged at the window. He was met in mid-air by Tegetro, who screeched violently. Sonic and Tails watched in horror and kept moving to get out of the way as the pair fought viciously, knocking aside furniture and breaking glass without even realizing it. Within a couple minutes, the fight seemed over, Tegetro standing over Shadow with his claws tight around the hedgehog's throat.

The wolf bared his fangs and hissed, his rage out of control. "I teach you our waysssssss, and you betray ussssssss?! Now, I will take you back to our cave, ssssssssaving you alive! Their judgement will be assssss oursssssssss, you will be bitten until you have become a werewolf, those creaturesssssss an even lower disssssgracccccce then usssssss!! Your inexperianccccce to fight assssssss a vampire and your weaknessssssssss for the ssssssmall have cossssst you your life, no one will be able to help you onccccccce you become...!"

Tegetro was interrupted by Sonic, who had sneaked away and recovered the silver dagger. He threw it at the vampire wolf, hoping that it would stab him, but his aim in the dark was poor. It sliced off half of Tegetro's left ear, fixing itself into the wall. The wolf hissed in pain, leaping off Shadow and onto Sonic.

"A mortal injure me?! You sssssssshall pay!" the vampire screeched, his teeth nearly touching the terrified hedgehog's throat.

"SONIC!!" screamed Tails, jumping onto Tegetro's back. Taking no notice of the fox, the crazed wolf sunk his fangs into the blue hedgehog's throat, forgetting that Shadow was still in the room.

The black hedgehog stood quickly, then pulled the dagger out of the wall by it's handle. The copper metal covering protected him from direct contact with the blade. He pulled the wailing Tails off of the wolf's back, and while the creature was obsessed with feeding off Sonic, the dark hedgehog drove the silver point straight through Tegetro's unprotected back. The wolf released his victim and stood, gasping for a moment, blood dripping from his lips. Then, he fell, sprawling on the floor, his eyes glazing over in death, the dagger still protruding out of his back.

Tails watched Shadow for a moment, frightened. The vampire hedgehog was staring at Sonic, licking his lips hungrily. Tears came to the fox's eyes, his friend had won the fight, but was losing control over his mind. The blue hedgehog was out cold, lying on the floor breathing steadily, unable to defend himself.

Shadow's eyes glowed in the darkness as he ran his tongue over his fangs, his mouth salivating at the sight of the hedgehog's unprotected neck. Tails got up and hugged Shadow, trembling and crying.

"Please Shadow, don't do it!! If you're even listening, please, don't do it!!!" the orange fox sobbed, holding onto him tightly. The vampire looked down at the little fox, whose tears were soaking into his jet-black fur. His mind seemed to snap back into place, and he shook his head, trying to clear it.

"What, jussssst happened?" he asked, blinking.

Later that same night, Knuckles came to the apartment. It was nearly midnight by now, and upon entering he took a wooden stake and charged at Shadow. Tails stood up in front of the dark hedgehog, protecting him.

"Knuckles, stop! I'll explain later, but stop it right now!!" the fox said. Shadow didn't pay much attention to either of them as they talked, content on watching TV. He stared at it, watching the news with slight boredom, until a special bulletin popped up. Tails and Knuckles came running over, staring at it in shock. There were people missing, many people, all at once. A few of the people had been found in an alleyway, uncurious with signs of a struggle. What puzzled doctors was that the victims seemed to have lost large amounts of blood, but they could find no wounds accept for a pair of bite marks on the persons neck. Shadow shook his head, unbelieving.

"They're bolder, they're attacking people within the cccccity now!" he said, remembering his own hunger.

"What are we going to do, Shadow? Sonic's still sleeping, but we have to stop them now!" Tails whimpered.

"Tails, you researched vampires, you know how to beat them!! The only thing I know is throw 'em in the sun, or stake 'em! I say we go take them out!!" said the red echidna, flexing his muscles. The dark hedgehog shot him a contemptuous look of anger, baring his teeth and hissing.

"Ssssssssome of ussssssss don't want to be vampiressssss, idiot! You want to murder usssssss becausssssssse of what we have become, ssssssomething we have no control over?!" he said, leaping to his feet, preparing to fight. The normally brave echidna cowered under his powerful gaze, not knowing about the hypnotic power a vampires eyes possessed. Tails stood up between them, breaking Shadow's gaze.

"Shadow, cut that out! You can hypnotize people with your eyes, stop it!" the fox said, sighing as Shadow turned back to the TV.

Shadow went to sleep early that morning, lying uncomfortably on the couch. His vampire body longed for the closeness of the earth, but his mind sought the comfort of a blanket. Sonic awoke not long after the black hedgehog began to rest, and as he stepped weakly out of the room, Tails ran up to him.

"Sonic! You're lucky, if that Tegetro had fed on you the way he had intended to, you wouldn't be able to get up!" he said, swishing his tails.

"What... happened?" Sonic asked, glancing at Shadow tossing and turning on his couch.

"That vampire Shadow was fighting with bit you, but Shadow got up and killed him with your silver knife. But..." the fox left off, not sure whether he should tell his friend of the way the dark vampire had looked at him.

"But what?!" asked Sonic, trying to stand up straighter. "Shadow scared me, he was looking at you and licking his lips like... like..." the fox stammered. "Like a vampire." The blue hedgehog finished, shaking his head.

"Tails, I think Knuckles is right. Even if there is a cure, it could take months to find, and by then, who knows what he will have done? I'm afraid we just might have to..."

"NO, Sonic! There is a cure, and it's not right! He didn't want to be this way, he..." Tails started yelling, angry that Sonic of all people wouldn't understand. The fox's cries didn't wake the vampire, as the daylight hours had begun and he couldn't be wakened easily until nightfall. The blue hedgehog grabbed his friend and shoved him in an empty room, locking it.

"I'm sorry, Tails. We just can't take the risk!" Sonic said as he walked into the small kitchen. He rummaged in the cabinets for a moment then pulled out some garlic flowers that were used for seasoning salads.

Cream walked into the apartment cautiously. Tails had called her earlier that morning and apologized for Shadow, and asked her to come over so that he could explain to the rabbit what was wrong with him. She saw Shadow in his deep sleep on the couch, and then saw Sonic coming out of the kitchen with his bunch of white flowers.

"Hello, Mr. Sonic. Um... Is Tails okay?" she asked, hearing the fox screaming and pounding on the door. "Don't do it Sonic!! Please don't!! It's not his fault, I'll find a cure, I swear I will!!!" she heard him yelling, over and over again.

"Cream, I think you'd better go." The blue hedgehog said, standing by Shadow.

"But... But I wanted to see why Mr. Shadow was sick. He'll get better, won't he?" she asked innocently. "Trust me, you don't want to see this." He said.

"What are you going to do? I know Mr. Shadow didn't mean to hurt me, don't punish him, please!" the brown rabbit said, her eyes filling with tears. Even though her words were not loud, they seemed to reach the black hedgehog's mind, and he opened his eyes upon hearing them. He looked up to see the garlic flowers just inches from his face and he screeched fearfully. Sonic stopped him before he could attempt to get away, throwing himself on the vampire and forcing the flowers into Shadow's face, trying to get them in his mouth.

Shadow hissed and bucked, rolling onto the floor and struggling to get away. He scrambled up the wall and clung to the ceiling, eyes wide with fear. "What the heck are you trying to kill me for?! What are you doing?!" he shouted as Sonic ran over to the window.

"It's too dangerous to let you live. First you're the ultimate lifeform, then you become a vampire. If you aren't stopped now, you'll hurt thousands of people!" the blue hedgehog said as he pulled down the curtains to let the sunlight in. The vampire shot for a door, opening it then closing it behind him as he entered. Strangely, it was the same room that Sonic had locked Tails in, and the fox was sitting on the floor crying.

"Why Sonic, why? I could have found a cure, I know it!" he was whimpering.

"Yeah, and I hope you find one fassssssst before he murderssssssssss me!" the dark hedgehog said, holding the door shut so Sonic couldn't enter. The fox looked up in suprise at him.

"Shadow! When I heard him grabbing the curtains I thought you were a goner!" Tails said. Shadow gave him an annoyed look, then quivered as heard Sonic talking on the phone.

"Yep... Uh-hunh... That's right... Good." He heard the blue hedgehog saying from the other side of the door.

"Oh, great. He'sssssss getting help in trying to kill me. That'ssssss jusssssssssst great!"

Tails led Shadow through a trap door in the ceiling that he had built in just days after he and Sonic had moved in. "The apartment lady would kill me if she knew I made this!" he said, leading Shadow out of the tunnel and onto the roof of the four story apartment building, the vampire once again covered in a blanket.

They took an elevator down to the lobby and the black hedgehog stumbled as Tails pulled him into a run. "We have to hurry, who knows who Sonic was calling! I can't believe he's doing this!" the fox sighed as he hailed a taxi. "To the airport please." Tails told the driver, who looked at the blanketed hedgehog in suspicion. They flew off in the Tornado 4, the fox's new model plane that looked similar to a F-16.


	3. Chapter 3

They stopped near midnight, Shadow was beginning to get anxious; he couldn't stand being in the back cockpit any longer. "I need out Tails, now!!" he yelled from behind the fox. He said it with such force that Tails didn't doubt him, and felt fear rising in him. He landed the Tornado 4, opening the cockpits and taking off his flight helmet. The black vampire hedgehog leapt out, crouching near the plane and trembling. His friend got out and stood beside him, staring. "S-shadow...?" he asked, knowing very well that it had been nearly two days since the vampire had fed. There was no moon out, and the forest around them was dark, very dark. Shadow opened his eyes, the pupils had become small and a look of desperate hunger had come to them. He turned to the fox, who began backing away. The hedgehog advanced, his fangs dripping with saliva. "Where are you going, Tails?" he asked, forcing the orange fox to the ground. Tails' eyes widened in fear as Shadow put a hand around his throat. "I-I was... Stop! Please, don't...!" The small boy whimpered. Shadow ran his tongue over his fangs, his mind concentrating on only one thing; he was starving. "I k-know you're hungry... B-but...! There's g-got to be another w-way!!" The vampire's fangs were touching his throat now, the sharp tips indenting on his skin. He's going to bite me... Was Sonic right after all, thought the fox.  
Two hours later, Shadow got up from the ground. He had stopped himself from biting Tails just moments before it had happened, and the fox had knocked him out. He was still starving, but his normal mind had returned, and he could control himself, mostly. As he stood he felt a metal ring curl around his neck, tightening to a slightly loose fitting. He turned and saw that it was connected to a chain of silver, and Tails was holding the end of it. "What the...?!" he started but the fox interrupted him. "It was the only way I could think of keeping myself safe. I know you don't want to bite me... But..." he muttered. Shadow looked at the chain and then his hands, and took his gloves off. "I understand. The neck ring isn't silver, that would have killed me, if I keep my gloves on then I could break it, so put them in the Tornado for a while." The hedgehog said with a sigh


End file.
